Bill, You don't have to reflect on that, you are doing it every day. Anthony
________________________________ From: Bill! <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, 23 May 2012, 14:44 Subject: [Zen] Re: News: Stanford scholar tracks meditation's migration from ancient monasteries to modern yoga Grinding a brick to make a mirror? Well, I'll have to reflect on that... --- In [email protected], Anthony Wu <wuasg@...> wrote: > > Bill, > Â > I am glad to read one of your coolest statements. Yes, it is great to > develope scychic powers. When you are ready, please challenge JMJM to have a > psychic contest. > Â > By the way, there is a Chinese story that to get enlightened by sitting zen > is like grinding a brick to make a mirror. What do you think? > Â > Anthony > > > ________________________________ > From: Bill! <BillSmart@...> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Wednesday, 23 May 2012, 6:13 > Subject: [Zen] Re: News: Stanford scholar tracks meditation's migration from > ancient monasteries to modern yoga > > > Â > Siska, I know you didn't ask me, but I'd like to respond. > > My objectives for my meditation is to do it better than any of my friends. > They all think they're pretty cool, sitting for hours at a time, seeing > colors and feeling like they're floating above their cushion. Frankly I'm > tired of hearing about it. I'd like to develop some powers like pointing at > someone and making them feel hot, or reading others thoughts. > > Do you have any advice for me? > > ...Bill! > > --- In [email protected], siska_cen@ wrote: > > > > Hi Ed, > > > > Now I'm wondering, do you have any objectives for meditation? Would you > > please share? > > > > Siska > > -----Original Message----- > > From: siska_cen@ > > Sender: [email protected] > > Date: Wed, 16 May 2012 14:12:19 > > To: <[email protected]> > > Reply-To: [email protected] > > Subject: Re: [Zen] Re: News: Stanford scholar tracks meditation's migration > > from ancient monasteries to modern yoga > > > > Hello Ed, > > > > I just like doing it, quite very much. But I don't really know why or what > > for. > > > > Siska > > -----Original Message----- > > From: "ED" <seacrofter001@> > > Sender: [email protected] > > Date: Wed, 16 May 2012 14:08:22 > > To: <[email protected]> > > Reply-To: [email protected] > > Subject: [Zen] Re: News: Stanford scholar tracks meditation's migration > > from ancient monasteries to modern yoga > > > > > > > > Hi Siska, > > > > What are the objectives (if any) for your meditation and/or yoga > > practices? > > > > --ED > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], siska_cen@ wrote: > > > > > Hi Joe, > > > > I came across yin yoga not very long ago and I also found it very close > > and quite complementary to my meditation practice. > > > > Do you practise other yoga styles? I found myself quite reluctant and > > not responsive to anything that is exciting after yin practice, > > including yang yoga. I feel like being still all the time, don't feel > > like moving. If I don't do a lot of yin, I enjoy vinyasa a lot. My > > teacher always reminds me to have balanced practice - yin and yang. > > > > This also makes me think if sittings and the stillness in it make us > > less energetic, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps, we don't > > need to be that energetic because maybe, there are many things we do > > while they are not necessary. > > > > Perhaps, I'm simply not balanced, always swayed way to far from the mid > > point. > > > > Siska > > > > > > From: "Joe" <desert_woodworker@> Sender: [email protected] > > Date: Sat, 12 May 2012 00:03:27 -0000 To: <[email protected]> > > ReplyTo: [email protected] Subject: [Zen] Re: News: Stanford > > scholar tracks meditation's migration from ancient monasteries to modern > > yoga > > > > In the article, the "difference" between monastic practice and lay > > practice is emphasized. > > > > The difference does not have to be a difference, however (and, indeed, I > > *do* take the article referenced with a grain of salt). > > > > As lay students, we still have the opportunity to attend several > > sesshin, or intensive retreats, per year with our teacher and our > > sangha. > > > > The important thing about zazen is to practice it, not to imagine how it > > might be different if we were monks or nuns. We'd still have to > > practice... . > > > > Physical practice is also important, to support sitting meditation, and > > to improve our health. Chinese Ch'an teachers emphasize this more than > > Japanese teachers or their Western successors, and so the Ch'an teachers > > are my heroes, and my favorite Bodhisattvas. > > > > Yoga is a fine adjunct to zazen. The recently so-called "Yin-Yoga", deep > > and prolonged holding of relaxed poses in order to treat the connective > > tissue, is the most useful to my practice. Aerobic exercise is a great > > adjunct to influence the diaphragm (muscles), and to enable the deepest > > relaxation in zazen, and the smoothest breathing, there; Samadhi > > practice becomes possible. > > > > Although lay practice and monastic practice seem different, we can still > > benefit from the encouragement of the Chinese Ch'an monastic > > teacher, who, in the Golden Age of Ch'an in China, taught that "A day > > without work is a day without eating." > > > > The "work" is not desk-work, or cubicle work, but physical work. > > > > To add Yoga to this is even better. > > > > Strong practice, all, > > > > --Joe / Sonoran Desert / Arizona > > > > > Interesting but take with a grain of salt.... Edgar > > > > > > Stanford scholar tracks meditation's migration from ancient > > monasteries to modern yoga > > >
